And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Ver. 39. And he went a little farther] Amat secessum ardens oratio. St Luke saith he was violently withdrawn from them, about a stone's cast, and there he kneeled down and prayed, for farther he could not go, through earnest desire of praying to his heavenly Father, Luke 22:41. απεσπασθη. Illud desiderium precandi eum incessit, ut illum quodam modo truderet.
And fell on his face] He putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope, Lamentations 3:29. This and the like humble gestures in God's service do at once testify, and excite inward devotion.
Let this cup pass] In the time of execution, they gave the malefactor a cup of wine, mingled with myrrh, Mark 15:23, to stupify his senses, and so to mitigate his pains. Hence the word calix or cup is put here and elsewhere for death itself, which, being terrible to nature, is therefore here with strong crying and tears deprecated by our Saviour, Hebrews 5:7. This was natural in him, and not sinful in us, so it do not degenerate into that which is carnal fear of death.
Nevertheless not as I will, but, &c.] Here Christ doth not correct his former request (for then there should have been some kind of fault in it), but explieateth only on what condition he desired deliverance, and becometh "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," Philippians 2:8, crying out, "not as I will, but as thou wilt," which shows that he had a distinct human will from the will of his Father, and so was very man as well as God. And here Aristotle, that great philosopher, is clearly confuted. For he denies that a magnanimous man can be exceeding sorrowful for anything that befalls him. a Our Saviour (his Church's stoutest champion) was exceeding sorrowful even to the death; and yet of so great a spirit, that he yields up himself wholly to God. Magnus est animus, qui se Deo tradidit; pusillus et degener, qui obluctatur, saith Seneca. He is a brave man that trusts God with all.
a Μεγαλοψυχος ουκ εστι περιλυπος. Arist. Eth.